Tension regulator for selvage spools



July 24, 1923.

C. F. LAVALLE TENSION REGULATOR FOR SELVAGE SPOOLS Filed Jan. 51. 1922INVENTEIE A- M zMA ATTUENEYE Fatenteol July as, 11223.

CHARLES E. LAVALLE, 0F NEWMARKET, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TENSION REGULATOR FOR-SEIQVAGE STOOLS.

Application filed January e1, 1922. Serial in.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARIES F. LAVALLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newmarket, in the county of Rockingham and State of NewHampshire-have invented new and useful Improvements in TensionRegulators for Selvage Spools, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates chiefly to selvage spools on which selvage warpthreads are accumulated, and from which they are drawn to the weavingmechanism of a loom, the threads passing from the selvage spool under awhip elongated stretches of the threads extend between the spool and theroll. The threads are somewhat hygroscopic, and are caused to elongateand contract by the variat ons of atmospheric moisture which occur 1n aweaving-room.

The chief object of; the invention is to provide tension-regulatingmeans between the spool and the whip roll, adapted to automaticallycompensate for variations in the length of th threads, and maintain thesame uniformly tensioned.

Another object is to provide means for conveniently varying thetensioning force or pressure in accordance with the number of threads.

The invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described andclaimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

' Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing ends of a selvage spool and of awhip roll in their usual relative positions, and tension-applyform,adapted to hold ing and regulating mechanism embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing a side of the spooland omitting the roll.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view.

The i'gsa je reference characters indicate the sam parts in all of thefigures.

12Yrepresents a selvage spool of ordinary a winding composed of a set ofselvage warp threads, and supported in the usual relation to the weavingmechanism of ailoomv by means such as a standard 13, fixed to a portion14 of the loom frame, and a horizontal stud 15, fixed to the standardand constituting an axis on which the spool is adapted to rotate. @Thewinding is confined on the barrel of the roll spaced therefrom, so thatlever arm 24 and the seams.

spool by the usual spool heads 16 and 17,

the latter being preferably provided with a peripheral groove 17*. 18represents the usual Whip roll journaled in hearings on the loom frameand spaced from thespool, and arranged to guide the threads on their wayfrom the spool to the weaving mechanism, so that thread stretches 19extend from the spool to th roll.

20 represents a fixed thread bearing,- which is preferably a cylindricalrod, and is parallel with the axis of the spool. Said bearing ispreferably supported by a fixed bracket 21, attached, as by a bolt 22,to the standard 13.

The hub 23 of a two-armed lever is adapted to turn freely on the bearing20. Said lever includes an outer arm 24, having a member 25, parallelwith the bearing 20, and an inner arm 26, in alinement with the outerarm. The lever is adapted to oscillate on the fixed bearing 20, and themember 25 carried by the outer arm of the lever constitutes a movablethread bearing. The movable thread bearing 25, and the inner lever arm26, are rigidly connected, and are at opposite Sides of the fixed threadbearing 20 so that they are movable simultaneously in oppositedirections, as herein after described.

a 27 represents a brake band, which may be a length of fibrous cord, andis attached at lts outer end to a fixed support, such as an ear 28 onthe bracket 21. From this support the band extends over the groovedspool head 17, and from thence to the inner lever arm 26, with which itis engaged, preferably by a loop formed on the inner end ofthe bandengaging one of a series of notches 29 in the lower edge of said arm.

Connected with the lever arm 26 is a yielding pressure-applying means,exertin a downward pull or pressure on the said arm and on the brakeband, and at the same time exerting upward pressure on the ou er movablebearing 25. I prefer to embody said yielding pressureapplying means in atension spring 31, connected at one end with a fixed support, as a stud37 on the frame portion 14, and at the other end with the lever arm 26,as by an eye 32,embracing said arm, and engaged with one of a series ofnotches.33 in the upper edge thereof. 4

he arrangement is such that the movable bearing 25 is held by the springin position a to deflect the thread stretches, 19 from a straightcoursebetween the spool and the roll 18, and dispose the ortions of thestretches between the bear ng 20 and the roll 18 in the form of bights.At the same time, the brake band is pressed 'byathe s ring against therooved periphery of tiie spool head 17. otation,-'ofthe'spool is,therefore, retarded, and the stretches '19 are tensioned partly by saidretardation,

and partly by the deflect-ion of the stretches by the movable bearing25.

In case the stretches are caused to vary in length by variations ofatmospheric moisture, the described mechanism automatically compensatesfor the variation. When the stretches are contracted by shrinkage, themovable bearing 25 is depressed and slightly decreases the depth of thestretch bights formed thereby. At the same time, the inner lever arm 26is raised and slightly decreases the pressure of the brake band on thespool. When the stretches are elongated, the movable bearing 25 risesand increases the depth of the bights, and the lever arm 26, at the sametime, is depressed and increases the pressure of the brake band on thespool.

It will be seen that a variation 'in the length of the brake band 27,due to the same cause, is also automatically compensated for, the innerarm 26 moving upward, as the band contracts, and downward as the bandelongates, so that no material variation in the pressure of the band onthe spool head is caused by the elongation, or by the contraction of theband.

The upper notches 33 permit the spring 31 to be connected with the innerlever arm at points at difierent distances from the fulcrum of thelever, according to the number of threads, it being desirable to connectthe spring at a greater distance from the fulcrum, when the number ofthreads is relatively large, than when the number is smaller. The lowernotches 2'9 permit the brake band to be connected with the inner leverarm, at diflerent points as may be required by the location of thespring connection. l

I preferably provide vmeans for varying the downward pressure of thespring onthe inner lever arm by employing as the connection between thespring and the lever am, an adjustable devicewhich may be a turn buckle35, on one member of which the eye 32 is formed. Adjustments of the turnbuckle vary the tension of the spring.

The described tensionapplying and regnlating mechanism is adapted to bequickly and conveniently applied to and removed from an ordinary loom,1t belng necessary only to provide the standard 13 with a hole toreceive the bracket-attaching bolt 22, and to provide 'the frame portion14: with a stud or pin :37, as an anchor for the spring 31. 0

It is obvious that the invention may be used in connection with anyspool which stores and supplies threads or filaments.

I claim:

1. The combination with a thread spool, and a roll spaced from thespool, and arranged -to guide threads passing from the spool, so thatthread stretches extend from the spool to the roll; of a tensionapplyingand regulating mechanism, comrigidly connected for simultaneous move--ment in opposite directions, a hand brake attached at one end to a fixedsupport, and extending from said support over a portion of the spool,said band being connected at its opposite end with the inner lever arm;and yielding pressure means connected with said inner arm, and normallyholding the said movable bearing in position to form bights in the saidthread stretches, said means being adapted to exert pressuresimultaneously on the brake band in one direction, and on the movablethread bearing in the opposite direction, to maintain the said threadstretches under tension, and compensate for the elongation and shrinkageof the thread and of the brake band, caused by variations of atmosphericmoisture.

2. The combination with a thread spool and a thread-guiding roll spacedtherefrom,

of a tension-appl ing and regulating mechanism substantially asspecified by claim 1, the inner lever arm of'said mechanism beingprovided with means for varying the points of connetcion therewith ofthe said brake band, and of the said yielding pressure means.

. 3. The combination with a thread spool and a thread-guiding rollspaced therefrom, of a tension-applying and re ulating mechanismsubstantially as speci ed by claim 1, the yielding pressure means ofsaid mechanism being embodied in a tension spring connected at one endwith a fixed support, and at the opposite end with the said inner lever.arm, and provided with means for varying its pressure on the inner leverarm.

4. The combination with a thread spool, l

mechanism, comprising a bracket" attached to said fixed support adjacentto the spool,

from the spool, so thateeaeoe a fixed thread bearing attached to saidbracket, a two-armed lever adapted to oscillate on said bearing, andincluding an outer arm having a movable thread bearing substantiallyparallel with the fixed bearing,

. and an inner arm, said movable bearing and inner arm being at oppositesides of the fixed bearing and rigidly connected for simultaneousmovement 1n opposite directions, a

to brake band attached at one end to said bracket and extendingtherefrom over a portion of the spool, the opposite end of said bandbeing connected with the inner lever arm, and a. tension springconnected at one end with the said inner arm, and at the 0pposite endwith said support, and normally holding said movable bearing in positionto form bights in said thread stretches, and said inner arm in positionto press the brake hand against the spool.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

CHARLES F. LAVALLE.

